For the First Time in Nepal’s History, a Woman Becomes Prime Minister

KATMANDU (Kokcha.News) — Sushila Karki, the former Chief Justice of Nepal’s Supreme Court, has been sworn in as the country’s first female interim Prime Minister. This historic appointment comes after weeks of violent anti-corruption protests that led to the resignation of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

The decision to appoint Karki was made following negotiations between Nepal’s President, Ashok Raj Sigdel, the Army Chief, and leaders of the protest movement known as “Generation Z”. The protests, described as the worst unrest in Nepal in recent years, began after the government imposed a ban on social media platforms.

The social media ban was later lifted, but not before at least 51 people were killed and over 1,300 injured in the clashes. KP Sharma Oli resigned on September 18 amid mounting public pressure and the ongoing protests.

The protests, largely led by young people, are known as the “Generation Z protests” due to the involvement of youth who are dissatisfied with the government’s failure to tackle corruption and create economic opportunities. Protesters specifically called for Karki to be appointed as interim Prime Minister, according to Tarman Kumar Karna, Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, who spoke with the demonstrators.

Karki told CNN India, “When they asked me, I accepted.” She was sworn in on Friday evening at 9:15 PM local time, according to the President’s Office.

As the crisis subsides, life in the capital, Kathmandu, is gradually returning to normal. Shops have reopened, and vehicles are back on the streets. Police, who were armed with firearms in recent days, are now patrolling with batons. However, some roads remain blocked, and families are still collecting the bodies of the deceased from hospitals in Kathmandu.

One relative of a victim told Reuters, “When his friends withdrew from the protest, he decided to continue. Later, we were told he had died in the hospital.” Another family shared that one of the victims had been married for only a month before being killed in the protests.